Question

he looked at me sideways—and i knew why jordan baker had believed he was lying. he hurried the phrase “educated at oxford,” or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. and with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and i wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all. “what part of the middle west?” i inquired casually. “san francisco.” “i see.” “my family all died and i came into a good deal of money.” his voice was solemn as if the memory of that sudden extinction of a clan still haunted him. for a moment i suspected that he was pulling my leg, but a glance at him convinced me otherwise. “after that, i lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of europe—paris, venice, rome—collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only, and trying to forget something very sad that had happened to me long ago.” which of the following is a theme from the great gatsby? communism is the foundation of american society. materialism can lead you to a meaningless existence. socialism is the cure for social instability.

Explanation:

In The Great Gatsby, characters like Gatsby (as seen in his pursuit of wealth and material possessions like jewels, living in luxury in European capitals) are often shown to be hollow or unfulfilled despite their material success. The novel critiques the empty pursuit of money and status (hallmarks of materialism) which can leave individuals with a lack of true purpose or meaningful connections, aligning with the theme that materialism can lead to a meaningless existence. Communism and socialism are not themes explored in The Great Gatsby which is set in a capitalist - era America and focuses more on the decadence and moral decay within that system rather than alternative economic ideologies.

Answer:

B. Materialism can lead you to a meaningless existence.